


Over Tea and Tarot

by hibiren



Series: Jay's FFXV Fic Favorites Collection 2018+ [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Cute, Fae & Fairies, Fae Magic, Faerie!Ignis, Fairies, Falling In Love, Flowers, Fluff, Gentle Kissing, Gladnis, Happy, Kissing, Language of Flowers, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Magic, Sequel, Spells & Enchantments, Tarot, Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-06-28 12:51:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19812670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hibiren/pseuds/hibiren
Summary: Ignis invites Gladio into his faerie house in Gladio's garden for teatime and an evening of magic.





	Over Tea and Tarot

**Author's Note:**

> Sort of a sequel-fic to ["Of Flowers and Faerie Gardens"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19707664)
> 
> I've been really into tarot lately, and wondered if I could incorporate that into my Fae!Ignis stories! Enjoy :D

A tapping at the window made Gladio look up from his book. His thumb lingered over the page to mark his place.

On the other side of the glass, Ignis tapped gently, asking him to unlatch the window by beckoning him closer. It was almost sunset. Gladio briefly wondered if something was wrong, but the inquisitive gleam in Ignis’ eyes eased his worries. The orange glow of the setting sun behind Ignis sent a glistening shimmer through Ignis’ translucent wings, like stained glass.

Gladio set his book aside to wander over to the windowsill. Ignis waited patiently while Gladio worked the latch free and scooted the window open just enough to let Ignis through.

“What’s up, Iggy?” asked Gladio casually, feeling comfortable enough in his acquaintance with the small faerie to finally test out a nickname. Ignis raised an eyebrow, but smiled warmly nonetheless.

“Well, I was wondering if you’d like to join me in my home for teatime? I realized I never had the chance to show you my humble abode… that, and… I’d like to spend a bit more time with you this evening. If you’re willing to, of course.”

With a nod, Gladio smiled down at Ignis before reaching for his shoes. As he tied the laces in place, he paused. “Sure, but… how can a guy my size fit into your house?”

“I’ll show you outside. Meet me at my doorstep.” And without any other words, Ignis disappeared down into the cottage’s garden, leaving Gladio to catch up. Closing and latching the window was a priority he almost forgot in his excitement - couldn’t go letting any bugs in this late.

The sun outside dipped just slightly lower, casting a more pink-red gradient across the sky, blanketing the grass in a tinted hue. Gladio knelt down in front of Ignis’ hollow-log house and that was when Ignis jumped up, wings flitting frantically to reach his desired height - eye level.

“If I may, a little bit of magic is necessary to let you inside. I can’t have you in at your current size.”

“Uh… sure. Whatever you have to do. It’s not gonna hurt, is it?” Gladio frowned, briefly, but Ignis only chuckled and gently tapped the tip of Gladio’s nose with his fingertips.

“Not at all, I should hope. Close your eyes, let your soul relax. Open yourself to the magic…”

He obeyed, eyes closing. “Let your soul relax” came a bit more difficult to Gladio, but he gave it his best shot, relaxing against the stones paving the garden pathway behind him. There was a brief sensation of something brushing against his lips and when he opened his eyes, he was face to face with Ignis, still eye level, with his chin cradled in the faerie’s warm palms, the faint taste of lemon lingering on his lips. It _worked._

“You shrank me,” Gladio realized, and hoped the smile at his lips didn’t come across as too excited.

“Indeed. Now, you may enter my residence, just be sure to wipe your feet.” With a bubbling laugh, Ignis pushed on the door and it opened, swinging inward to reveal a large log-cabin-esque interior, piled high with rustic books, decorations, and natural items; pinecones, bundles of drying spices, and even a few pressed flowers adhered to the wall. Stacks of precariously balanced teacups lined the empty floorspace along the wall as well.

There was a bowl near the door, stashed full with shelled nuts and the familiar translucent yellow of Iris’ lemon candies. Gladio caught a glimpse of it as he shuffled past the welcome mat and into the wide expanse of Ignis’ home - it really was magic that kept everything hidden within that tiny faerie house.

With a flourish, Ignis directed Gladio further inside, pulling out a chair for him at his decorated table. The chair itself was oddly comfortable, despite having flower-petal upholstery. As Gladio scooted his chair forward to the table, an array of snacks and teas appeared on small plates before him. The lightly steaming teapot floated over on its own accord, pouring a serving’s worth of tea into Gladio’s waiting cup without spilling a single drop. Ignis hummed along indifferently as he sat in the chair directly across the table, watching as the teapot went to work.

“This is amazing, Ignis! Is the teapot doing that on its own, or is that you?” Gladio asked, but bit his lip, wondering if he was prying too much.

“A little of both. I conjured that teapot’s sentience myself, but her will to please is all her own. I rescued her and her cups from abandonment, stashed away in a suffocating box in someone’s storage. She called to me as I wandered, so I shrank her box down to carrying size and took her with me. There was so much dust on it, I felt like I was swimming in it. I’m sure the teapot is much happier here. Wouldn’t you say so?”

The teapot pipped its steam as if in agreement, the lid rising and settling like the beak of an excited bird. After serving both Gladio and Ignis, the teapot settled in the center of the table beneath a floral centerpiece - globe mallows and sprigs of lavender in a clear glass half-orb. Ignis began spooning sugar into his teacup and glanced expectantly at Gladio.

“Do you drink tea with cream and sugar?”

“Just cream, thanks… but maybe a little sugar, since Iris isn’t around to tease me about it.”

“Of course. I’ve… quite the taste for sweets myself.” Ignis’ wings tucked behind him as he sat back against his chair, presumably to keep from crushing or bending them. He gestured to the small pitcher of cream and the teaspoons in the sugar bowl and the porcelain glowed for a moment before they rose from their places, drifting over to Gladio and mixing the perfect amount of cream and sugar into his teacup. The cream swirled and clouded the pure, sunny orange of the tea as the teaspoon clinked lightly against the porcelain. Gladio watched, mesmerized, and only when the bowl and pitcher returned to their places did he reach over to gingerly touch the teacup’s handle, as if expecting it to leap out of his hands.

The tea tasted of lemon, citrus, and spices - ginger? And a lingering floral warmth that blended all of the flavors together neatly.

“I should buy a lemon tree,” Gladio mused as he set the cup into its saucer. He wasn’t sure where the thought came from.

“Oh, yes, you should! Lemons are such versatile fruit. You can do so much with them. Cooking, cleaning, teas, even a little bit of magic.”

“What kind of magic can you do with lemons?” asked Gladio past another sip of tea. He picked up one of the cookies on his plate and bit into it, tasting sugar and cinnamon, and a hint of something more… rum? Every flavor mingled in his mouth and the expression on his face must have been apparent because it made Ignis smile, a surprised chuckle leaving him.

With another flourish, the faerie conjured a small handful of lemon seeds into his palm and held them up for Gladio to see. “Magic like this.”

He tossed them into the air and they burst in little yellow-silver fireworks over the table.

“Each seed has a different appeal to it. Lemons, watermelons, apples, pomegranates - but I haven’t come across one of those in years. You can also do this,” continued Ignis, clasping another conjured lemon seed between his palms, squeezing tightly. Bright, colorful rays of light surrounded him, as if generated by the seed itself. When Ignis unclasped his hands, he held what appeared to be a palm-sized stack of cards, with images of lemons and lemon tree branches painted across its surface.

“Playing cards?”

“Not quite. Have you heard of tarot? That’s what humans call it at least. It’s divination, more or less; messages sent to the recipient through the images presented on the cards. Let’s see what nature has in store for you.” Ignis snapped and the cups and plates on his side of the table scooted downward, clinking neatly as they settled against the tablecloth. He had just enough space to shuffle the cards, split the deck - taking the bottom half and placing it on the top, and spreading three cards from left to right on the tablecloth.

The cards flipped over one at a time. The first revealed a wilting sapling with broken branches and a pile of dried leaves accumulated at the roots. The second card depicted two teacups - much like the ones Ignis kept - directly across from each other, not touching but close. The brims of the cups overflowed with blooming flowers: forget-me-nots, globe mallows, and gladioli. Pictured on the last card were four vine-covered wands all pointing upright, pink roses adorning their lengths. Ignis pondered each card for a long moment. Gladio watched as his eyes flickered between intrigue, understanding, and curiosity, but waited to ask until Ignis gestured for Gladio to look at the cards.

“The first card signifying your Past might be unpleasant to see at first - it reads for Death. But it doesn’t necessarily mean a physical Death. There was something unpleasant in the years leading up until now that you struggled to escape from, and the Death card signals your desire for rebirth, and change. The death of the chaos to bring something steady.”

It was true - Gladio and Iris had a lot of difficulty living in the city after the death of their father. They were ultimately too young to keep up with the rapid demands of corporations, greediness, city life… they were lucky enough to find a cheap, run-down cottage far away from the city that Gladio could afford immediately enough to say, “Iris, let’s go,” and they never looked back. With a little fixing up, the place was as good as any other house, and they were able to start up their garden to feed themselves and make money with the excess, in addition to taking some time during the market to help out here and there with other locals when necessary.

“The second card, the Present, is the Two of Cups. These two cups are, indeed… much like ours at the table. They are two separate entities yet overflowing with potential. It signifies a partnership. I’m… intrigued by the choice of blooms. Look closely, and you will understand. The cards acknowledge that we have met, and that we have an understanding of each other that transcends words. The intimacy of trust, perhaps. You are the first human who has seen me in years, and also the first human to ever be welcome in my personal residence. And the first human I have shared a kiss with.”

Was Ignis’ face red? Gladio felt a burning at his cheeks and glowing at his ears, and with an awkward gesture to the third card, Ignis sounded like he was having difficulty steadying his voice as he explained the last presented meaning.

“The Future: the Four of Wands. You have found happiness in your current life in making a new home for yourself. What you have now is a vast improvement from the suffocations of your past. These four wands show that your hard work is paying off, that your garden is flourishing, that your life is finally heading in the right direction. It’s time to step back, admire your handiwork, and give yourself the credit you deserve. I agree, if I may say so myself. I’ve witnessed much of the hard work you’ve put into reviving this broken cottage, and it warms me to see the way you treat your garden with such respect. It’s… part of the reason I suppose I was ever drawn to your presence in the first place.”

Ignis gave Gladio one more moment to look over the cards before a brief sparkle of light appeared. The cards shuffled themselves neatly and the deck tucked itself into a small open space on a bookshelf behind them. Ignis then reached for his previously set aside tea dishes and finally took a nibble of one of the cookies, chewing thoughtfully.

“So… can…” Gladio began, but paused, trying to look busy suddenly occupying himself staring into the somehow still-warm tea in his cup. “Nevermind.”

“Something troubling you about the reading? Were you not satisfied?”

“No, no! I was. Satisfied, I mean. I just… had a question.”

“Go ahead.” Ignis wiped the crumbs from his fingers into a folded napkin and laced his fingers together atop the tablecloth, waiting expectantly for Gladio to continue.

“Those cups, those were meant to be us? With the flowers? And… you mentioned that I was the first human you’ve kissed. Back there, outside, was that… part of your magic, or was that you?”

Ignis raised a hand to awkwardly adjust his glasses as they fell forward from their perch on his nose. “Both… perhaps - oh, no! You can’t be thinking that I’ve charmed you into falling in love with me, I’ve done no such thing. To initiate the shrinking spell, I have to be touching the desired object… it was… perhaps a bit rash of me, if it upset you, I apologize.”

“No, I - ” What would Gladio say? That it didn’t bother him? That he wanted it? That it felt right in the moment? He trusted Ignis enough to believe that his claim not to put him under a charm was true. “I… understand. I think, somehow, I wanted it too. But isn’t this against the rules? For a human and a faerie to… you know.”

“Oh, nonsense! Plenty of fae take human mates. Although, not everyone is cursed with such a… natural difference in size. Merfolk have been known to take human mates on multiple occasions, or so I’ve heard. Naiads, dryads, and nightfae as well. At least, with my capabilities, I can remedy the only issue in our being together with a simple spell as you’ve seen. All you have to do is ask, and I shall do my best to please you. If… you’ll allow me.”

Gladio dared to meet Ignis’ questioning gaze and keep it, despite the odd, excited, nervous trembling in his body. “You want to date me?”

“If that’s the terminology you’d like to give it, yes. I’d like to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“I don’t… I don’t know what to say,” stammered Gladio in bewildered response, despite the growing smile tugging at his lips. “...Really?”

“Yes. If you don’t know what to say, allow me to speak first.” Pushing his chair back, Ignis took careful steps over to Gladio’s side of the table. His wings spread wide and glittered in a rainbow of beautiful colors, almost reflecting the radiant happiness on his face. Gladio shifted in his chair to face the faerie and almost as if of their own accord - his arms reached out to Ignis. Bending down just slightly, Ignis touched Gladio’s cheek with his hand and brought their lips together in gentle affirmation. So much concentrated between them - the taste of spices, citrus, and bliss - that it nearly made Gladio dizzy when Ignis pulled away to whisper in his ear,

_“I love you, Gladiolus… my flower.”_

**Author's Note:**

> It can never be too long in my AU ideas before I have them confessing to each other, I love the way I set this one up! It's magical, cute, and heartwarming~


End file.
